Flexible bulb support means

ABSTRACT

This a bulb-support means which has a flexible element protruding into the cavity for engagement with a bulb to hold the bulb against excessive movement when it is subjected to shock or vibration. One type of support means uses a flexible metal spring member and another type uses an element formed of rubber or elastomer.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Edward J. Luce Wayland; Joseph F.Arnao, Needham, both of Mass. [21 Appl. No. 834,258 [22] Filed June 18,1969 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 [73] Assignee TRW Inc.

Cleveland, Ohio [54] FLEXIBLE BULB SUPPORT MEANS 3 Claims, 5 DrawingFigs.

[52] US. Cl 339/93 [51] Int. Cl I-I0lr 33/12 [50] Field of Search339/69-73, 75, 93

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,947 5/1935 Hauser339/73 2,920,302 1/1960 Heller 339/93 L FOREIGN PATENTS 676,861 8/1952Great Britain 339/75 T Primary Examiner-James A. Leppink AssistantExaminer-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorneys-Philip E. Parker, Gordon Needleman,James R.

OConnor, John Todd, Hall & Houghton and J. Y. Houghton ABSTRACT: This abulb-support means which has a flexible element protruding into thecavity for engagement with a bulb to hold the bulb against excessivemovement when it is subjected to shock or vibration. One type of supportmeans uses a flexible metal spring member and another type uses anelement formed of rubber or elastomer.

PATENTED SEP28 19?:

INVENTORS EDWARD J. L UCE JOSEPH F. ARNAO BY Wa /m ATTORNEY FLEXIBLEBULB SUPPORT MEANS Another example of the separate element approach isfound in the Geiger Pat. US. Pat. No. 1,967,878 issued on July 24, 1934disclosing flat, spring fingers associated with a socket shell having ashouldered groove formed on the spring fingers which engage a projectionformed in the longitudinal groove in the bulb base.

An earlier example of the separate spring element approach than theGeiger patent is found in the patent to Lieber, US Pat. No. 1,231,760issued July 3, 1917, which uses a ball hearing entrapped within a slotformed in the socket shell. A portion of the ball bearing protrudes intothe socket cavity and movably engages the threads of a bulb base.

Still another example is the Schlicker et al. US. Pat. No. 2,071,769issued Feb. 23, 1937, which has a U-shaped flat spring finger and anopposed straight flexible spring finger both of which are mounted in asocket shell and have projections which extend into the socket cavityand are adapted to snap engage the base of a threaded bulb.

A final example of the separate element approach is disclosed in thepatent to Woodward et al. US Pat. No. 3,072,878 issued Jan. 8, I963showing U-shaped flat contact member with an angled arm which extendsinto the socket cavity and provides the flexible interference engagementwith the threaded base of a socket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is toprovide a flexible bulb support means adapted to hold a bulb againstvibrational movement while in an electric socket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bulb supportmeans which flexibly engages the bulb at a point above its engagementwith the socket.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bulbsupport means which uses a spring wire form including a U-shaped loopedportion comprising a pair of arms which are outwardly into the socketcavity when the bulb support means is engaged with the socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view of theflexible supporting member;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a socket with the support member engagedtherewith;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a variation of the socket shown in FIGS. 1through 3; and knuckle FIG. 5 is an enlarged section of a portion of thesocket shown in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, there is showna conductive socket shell having a tubular barrel portion and a tubularportion 12integrally joined through a circumferential flange 14. Theshell is open at both ends and has its open end at the barrel portion 10formed as an aperture defined by a shoulder flange. A series ofbackacting legs 18 extends from the upper edge of the body portion 12toward the flange 14. Each of the legs 18 includes a knuckle 20 and afree terminal end. The body portion 12 has a greater diameter than thebarrel portion 10, thereby providing an internal shoulder 22 on the sameplane as the flange 14.

The assembly includes a flexible spring member 24, which has two freeterminal ends spaced from each other and a first engagement portionextending from the first terminal end and having a first supportprotuberance 25 formed therein extending inwardly and an arced portion29 connecting the first support protuberance 25 to a U-shaped loopedportion 28 which extends downwardly and comprises a pair of arms 30connected by a bight portion. The arms 30 are arced to extend inwardlytoward the axis of the spring member 24. The looped portion 28 iscontinued into another arced portion 29a which in turn merges into asecond support protuberance 32 which merges into the second arcedterminal end. The arced portions 29, 29a lie on the same plane.

The barrel portion 10 has an internal longitudinal channel 34 formedtherein extending from the flange 14 downwardly a predetermineddistance.

The spring member 24 is engaged with the socket shell by placing thelooped portion 28 which is in right angle relationship to the plane ofthe arced portions 29, 290 within the longitudinal channel 34 with aportion of the arced arms 30 extending into the cavity of the barrelportion 10. The arced portions 29, 29a are in superimposed, abuttingrelationship to the internal shoulder 22, as shown in FIG. 2, and bearagainst the wall of the body portion 12. The arced arms 30 of the loopedportion 28 as well as the right portion thereof must be free to move upand down within the longitudinal channel 34.

When a bulb is engaged in the socket, the arms 30 and the first andsecond support protuberances 25, 32 will bear against the base of thebulb holding it in a fixed position.

A variation of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawing.This comprises a barrel portion 10a and a body portion 12a joined by aflange 14a. The barrel portion 10a, body portion 12a, and flange are allconstructed in a manner similar to that of the barrel portion 10, bodyportion 12, and flange 14. Flexible, malleable material is fonned toabut, in superimposed relationship, the flange 14a, and circumscribes aportion of the body portion l2awhile a slug 36, of malleable materialsuch as a vinyl plastisol, is passed through a slot 38 which is formedthrough the body portion 12a. The slug 36 extends into the cavitydefined by the body portion 12a. The slot 38 extends from the plane ofthe flange 14 through the height of the body portion 12a. If necessary,the slot 38 may only be formed as an aperture in the body portion 124.When a bulb (not shown) is engaged with the socket, the slug 36 willbear against the base of the bulb supporting it in a predeterminedposition. Two or more slugs may be provided if desired.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket assembly comprising a tubular portion and a tubularbody portion integrally joined through a circumferential flange, thebody portion having an internal shoulder formed therein and alongitudinal channel extending from the internal shoulder downwardlyinto the barrel portion and flexible bulb support means comprising afirst arced arm and second arced arm connected by a U-shaped arced loopportion, the arced arms lying on the same plane and the loop portionextending at right angles to the plane of the arms, each arm lying insuperimposed abutting relation to the internal shoulder and the loopportion extending along the longitudinal channel with the arced portionsof the loop portion extending into the cavity formed by the barrelportion and each of the arms having means of engaging a bulb baseprotruding into the cavity of the lamp socket.

2. A flexible bulb-support means comprising a first arced arm and asecond arced arm connected by a flexible portion, the flexible portionadapted to bear against a bulb base, and the first and second arced armshaving means of engaging the bulb base and the flexible portioncomprising a U-shaped arced loop portion in right angle relation to theplane of the first and second arced arms which lie on the same plane andwhich are in spaced opposed relation to each other.

3. A flexible-support means as set forth in claim 2 which is formed of aflexible metal wire and which means of engaging the bulb base comprisesa V-shaped bend formed therein.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 609,641 Dated September 28 1971 InVent r(5) Edward J. Luce and Joseph F.Arnao It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Page 1, column 1, to be inserted before first paragraph:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Historically speaking, there are two broadmethods of providing a socket element flexibly engaging the base of alamp. In the first method, a flexible socket shell may be provided andin the second method a substantially rigid socket housing or body may beprovided with separate flexible spring elements.

The patent to Stahl, U. S. 1,451,122, issued on April 10, 1923, is anexample of the flexible shell arrangement. In this patent the U-shapedshell comprises a pair of upstanding arms formed of a flexible materialwhich are canted inwardly toward each other. A pair of wings are formedat the end of each of the arms in spaced opposed relationship to eachother. The studs of the lamp base are passed down through the openspaces between the wings and are then rotated under the wings to preventaccidential withdrawal. The inward angulation of the arms provides theflexible interference with the bulb base.

Another example of the flexible shell arrangement is found in the patentto Sumner, U. S. 2,192,943 issued March 12, 1940, disclosing acup-shaped shell member which is longitudinally segmented into a seriesof fingers having a portion of each finger arced so as to protrude intothe cavity and provide means of flexibly engaging an annular rib formedon the base of the bulb.

FORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC fiO376-F'69 if U 5 GOVERNMEN'! PRINTINGOFFICE 1959 O366-3J4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 3,609,641 Dated September 28, 1971 ln e fl EdwardJ. Luce and Joseph F. Arnao It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

An example of the separate spring element type is shown in the patent toPearson et al, U. S. 1,927,293 issued on September 19, 1933 disclosing asocket shell having a flexible, flat conductor strip or finger whichprotrudes into the socket cavity and has a concavo-convex protruberance.The convex surface of the protuberance extends into the socket cavityand is adapted to engage an annular groove formed in the bulb base.--

Column 1, line 47, cancel the word "knuckle".

Signed and sealed this 28th day of March 1972 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOT'I'SCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents "ORM PC405 (10-69! USCOMM-DC 60376PB9 U 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE 19.9 O366-JJ4

1. A lamp socket assembly comprising a tubular barrel portion and atubular body portion integrally joined through a circumferential flange,the body portion having an internal shoulder formed therein and alongitudinal channel extending from the internal shoulder downwardlyinto the barrel portion and flexible bulb support means comprising afirst arced arm and second arced arm connected by a U-shaped arced loopportion, the arced arms lying on the same plane and the loop portionextending at right angles to the plane of the arms, each arm lying insuperimposed abutting relation to the internal shoulder and the loopportion extending along the longitudinal channel with the arced portionsof the loop portion extending into the cavity formed by the barrelportion and each of the arms having means of engaging a bulb baseprotruding into the cavity of the lamp socket.
 2. A flexiblebulb-support means comprising a first arced arm and a second arced armconnected by a flexible portion, the flexible portion adapted to bearagainst a bulb base, and the first and second arced Arms having means ofengaging the bulb base and the flexible portion comprising a U-shapedarced loop portion in right angle relation to the plane of the first andsecond arced arms which lie on the same plane and which are in spacedopposed relation to each other.
 3. A flexible-support means as set forthin claim 2 which is formed of a flexible metal wire and which means ofengaging the bulb base comprises a V-shaped bend formed therein.